Starting device for explosive-motors.



l. H DAVIS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE MOTORS APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. I906. RENEWED JULY 29.1915.

1,217,574. I Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

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/6 d4. 26% Gaga/(2441M ISAAC H. DAVIS, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY W. TAYLOR, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE-MOTORS.

Application filed December 19, 1906, Serial No. 348,574. Renewed July 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAo H. DAVIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for ExplosiveMotors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is intended for use in connection with internal combustion engines wherein a charge of mixed volatile fuel and air is compressed to a high point, and then ignited. Its object is to enable the initial compression required to start the engine from a condition of rest to be accomplished without the necessity of turning the engine by hand or cranking, so that an explosive engine of even the highest power may be started by anyone with ease, certainty and safety.

Another and more specific object is to construct the device so that it can be applied to any automobile with the least possible difficulty, and without requiring modification in the structure of the automobile; and to provide means for its adjustment in horizontal and vertical directions so as to bring the device in exact registry or alinement with the shaft of the explosive motor.

Although the invention is capable of being applied to any internal combustion engine of whatever character, design or power the same may be, it is particularly intended for automobile motors. and the drawings show an embodiment of the essential features of the invention adapted to be applied to the forward end in' front of the radiator of an automobile in which the driving motor shaft extends longitudinally.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a portion of an automobile having my improved starting device' applied thereto.

Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the starting device, as seen from the right of Fig. 1, showing a fragment of the motor shaft.

Fig. 3 represents anenlarged section of the starting device on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig.4 represents a fragmentary elevation, partially in section, of the parts in a different position from that in which they are represented in the other figures.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The device in which the present embodi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Serial N 0. 42,645.

ment of the invention'consists is composed of a cylinder 1 fixedly secured to a collar 2 from which extends a frame 3 having a hearing 4. Within the bearing' i is a section 5 of shaft to which on the forward side of the frame is secured a crank 6, and on the rear side a clutch member 7. The crank and clutch member engage opposite ends of the bearing 4 and hold the shaft section against endwise movement. Within the cylinder'is a piston 8 of which the upper portion fits the cylinder. while the lower portion 81 is of smaller diameter and is formed as a trunk passing out through the lower end of the cylinder. Between the portions of different diameters is a shoulder 9. To the lower projeoting end of the piston trunk ,is secured a head 10 having a. horizontal slot 11 into which projects a roller 12 on a crank pin 13 carried by the crank 6. The slot 11 has a lateral extent equal to slightly more than twice the length of the crank, and acts in the usual manner of a slotted cross-head to rotate the shaft section 5 when the piston is reciprocated.

The clutch member 7 is adapted to connect with a complemental clutch member 14 on the end of thecrank shaft 15 of the motor, and in order that the connection may be properly made, the starting device is adjust ably mounted. This mounting, whereby ad justment is permitted, consists of a rod 16 extending horizontally across the front of the automobile and secured at its ends to the side frames 17 and 18 of the automobile. A hanger 19 having an eye 20 through which the rod 16 extends, enters a socket 21 in the frame 3, and is secured therein by a setscrew 22. The hanger 19 is adjustable laterally on the horizontal rod 16, being held in anyposition by a set-screw 190, while the frame is vertically adjustable on the hanger. Thereby it is possible to put the shaft section 5 in exact alinement with the shaft 15 of the motor.

The motive power for operating the piston and shaft section consists of fluid under considerable pressure, which is contained in a ,reservoir secured in any convenient position on the automobile and connected by piping with the cylinder. The fluid employed may be carbonic-acid gas contained under pressure in a liquid or gaseous condition, or some other gas may be employed, or the materials for chemically generating such'a gas may be contained in the reservoir and may be caused to react upon each other when required to produce a supply of the gas. Gas could also be generated by a slowburning powder cartridge. The gas enters a valve chamber 23 formed in the head of the cylinder through pipes 24: and 25 and a valve chamber 26. From the chamber 23 the fluid passes through an inlet opening 27 in the cylinder head 28. A valve 29 overlies. the upper end of the opening and has a stem 30 projecting into the cylinder adjacent the upper end of the piston. When the piston is elevated, it engages the stem 30, lifting valve 29 from its seat, and uncovering the passage 27 to permit unim' peded influx of the working fluid. After the piston has been driven a short distance it allows the valve 29 to descend and to close the inlet passage 27. Thereupon the fluid acts expansively to drive the starter. This is to economize gas.

From the valve chamber 26 a second pipe 31 leads to the lower end of the cylinder and opens into the annular space 32 between the cylinder walls and the piston trunk 81. When fluid is admitted to this space, itpresses against the shoulder 9 and elevates the piston. controls the flow of the fluid and has an outer passage 34.- and an inner recess 36. When. in the position shown, in Fig. 3, the passage 34 connects pipes 25 and 24, allowing the gas to flow into the chamber 23 and the cylinder, while the gas in the space 32 passes out through pipe 31, recess 36 and an exhaust port 37. When it is desired to raise the piston, the valve is turned so as to' connect the pipe'24: and port 37 through the recess 36, and allowing the passage 34: to join the pipes 25 and 31. Thus the gas under pressure acts on the shoulder 9, while that in the upper part of the cylinder is exhausted into the atmosphere.

In using the device to start an lnternal combustion motor, the clutch member 14' Which is splined to the motor shaft 15 is carried into connection with the section 7 by means of a clutch coupler 38. Then the valve 33 is operated by the handle 39 to admit pressure fluid to the upper end of the cylinder. This causes the piston 8 to descend and act through the head 10, crank 6, and clutch 7 to turn the motor shaft in the way it should go to compress the charge and start the motor. As the motor passes the dead-p0int, the compressed charge is ignited and it is then driven automatically, the clutch members being, disconnected 7 either manually or by the continued rotation of the motor shaft 15. The piston is then re.- turned, by admitting fluid below the shoulder 9,to the normal raised position wherein it is arrested by a butler spring4=0 abutting against the cylinder head 28.

A valve 33 in the chamber 26 1 ,eiaeve the power is applied. Thereby, the crank of the motor cylinder acted on being-approximately at right angles with crank 6, the power applied increases rapidly so that an accelerated speed is given to the motor shaft and a quick, sharp compression, fol- 1 lowed immediately by the ignition, 1S obtained in the cylinder. This has the edect of causing a large amount of power to be deiteloped on the first explosion without allowing leakage of the charge or radiation of heat rapid enough to permit condensation of the liquid fuel.

In Fig. 1 is shown the approximate relation between the motor and the starting cranks when the starter is operated to set the motor in operation, the cranks being designated by the numerals 50 and 51. If this relation does not existbetween the cranks when the engine is at rest, and it is desired to put the starter in operation, the latter is clutched to the engine shaft and moved a short distance with a reduced pres desired position. The starter piston is then caused to return to its normal position, the clutch members 7 and 14: connected with the cranks nearly in position as shown, and the full pressure of the gas admitted to the starter cylinder. Thereupon the leverage of the starter crankincreases, while the compression in one of the motor cylinders increases and in approximately the same proportion, the leverage being the greatest when the charge is fully compressed and the motor crank about arriving at the dead point. The speed of the starter crank is also greatest at this time, so that the compression is efiected with increasing rapidity and the motor parts put into condition to produce a' spark while the parts are rapidly moving, and therefore within a very short time after the charge has been compressed.

While the leverage or moment arm through which the starter piston acts on the crank 6 is much shorter than the length of the crank when the parts are in the position shown, it. is possible by manipulation to make this arm or leverage still shorter before the fluid pressure is applied to start the motor; This effect is secured by raising the piston 8, by admission of pressure fluid into the space 32 in the manner described, to a still higher position, with compression of the bufier spring 40, before coupling the starter crank shaft with the motor shaft. It is evident from an inspection of the drawings that there is sufiicient clearance in the head end of the cylinder to permit raising of'the piston until the crank 6' is at or near the dead-point, when the leverage thereon is many times less than when the parts are in the position shown. It is also to be noted that the starter crank 6 is substantially as long as the motor cranks and thatt he full stroke of which the starter piston is capable is long enough to carry the crank 6 through an entire half revolution. The effect resulting from the characteristics here noted is that, before starting the motor, the starter crank may be placed so near the upper dead-pointthat its leverage is but a small fraction of its length, in which position it may be coupled to the motor shaft when the cranks thereof are at the position of rest; and that thereafter a single stroke of the starter piston is effective to turn the motor shaft through nearly a half revolution, and in any event through more than the angle between the position of rest of the cranks and the position wherein retarded ignition in at least one of the cylinders of'the motor takes place. Also important is the characteristic that the starter crank has substantially its maximum leverage when the crank and piston of one cylinder are at the point of maximum compression and are arriving at the position of ignition. A further feature of importance is that, by reason of the short leverage of the starter when the operation begins, a

high pressure of the motive fluid is required to overcome the friction ofrepose and the inertia of the motor. This condition insures that the starting-movement will not begin until a high enough fluid pressure has been admitted to the starting cylinder to overcome this high resistance, which pressure,

then acting through an increasing leverage is sufficient, even after cutting off of the fl-uid admission to the starter cylinder, and.

remains great enough to drive the motor with accelerating angular velocity past the position of maximum compression, in the manner already described. In other words the features and characteristics here described positively insure production of the necessary character of motion in the motor for starting it, by making practically impossible the initiation of such. movement until accumulation of motive fluid under pressure is great enough to insure completion of the starting stroke.

Upon reaching the downward limit of its stroke, the head 10 encounters a yielding buffer 41 which consists of a plunger contained in a socket 42 in the lower end of the frame 3, and actedupon by a spring 43 contained in the socket. This buifer'yieldingly brings the moving parts to rest before the crank-pin reaches the dead-point, and

gives to them an impulse tending to return them to normal'position.

The spring 40 acts to arrest the piston when returned in the normal manner, and stops it before the crank-pin reaches the upper dead-point, thus always retaining the parts in position for instant starting.

In order that the motor may be started by hand, if desired, I provide upon the crank-pin 12 'a projecting stud 44 which is square and adapted to be surrounded by the socket of a handle forming an extension of the crank. The forward member 301 of the frame is then disconnected by removal of the pin-803 and swung downward about its pivot 302 out of the way.

With the rapid development in automobile motors, and the successively higher powers which are being generated by such motors, it has become more and more necessary to employ some sort of automatic starting device for setting the motors in motion, so as to relieve the operator of the severe muscular strain and the danger incidentto manually starting the motor, and also to enable him to start the same from the seat of the car without the annoyance of getting down upon the'ground. At the present time motors for automobiles, particularly the high-powered ones, can only be started by persons who not only have comparatively set their machines in motion. .With the introduction of alcohol as a fuel for internal combustion motors, it will be quite impossible to start the motor by the method of hand-cranking, since in order to secure the best resultswith alcohol, it is necessary to compress the charge up to two hundred pounds per square inch of piston area instead of the sixty or eighty pounds used when gasolene is the fuel.

I am aware that automatic devices have previously been employed for this purpose, but such devices. were and are defective in that they lack power, and can turn the motor only with a slow retarding motion. This renders them practically inoperative, because in order to secure .an explosion that will furnish any appreciable power, particularly when the motor has been run considerably, until the piston and packing rings have become worn and somewhat loose, it is necessary to turn the motor with a quick accelerating movement so that whenrthe charge begins to be compressed, it is rapidly brought up to the highest compression, and the motor shaft carried to the position where explosion occurs before any considerable part of the pressure has had time to leak away, and also before the heat of compression has radiated out sufficiently to allow the vaporized fuel to condense in liquid form on the walls of the motor cylinder. Both these harmful results take place when the compression is produced slowly, and the leakage results in the loss of a larger proportion of the liquid fuel than of the alr, whereby the mixture remainingin the cylinder is not only at a relatively low pressure but is not sufficiently rich, and therefore will neither ignite readily nor give much power if ignited. From the description of the construction and operation which is hereinbefore given of the present device, it will be understood that the increasing leverage with which the pressure-driven piston 8 acts upon the crank 6 and shaft 5 causes the engine shaft to be ,turned at an increasing speed as the motor piston approaches the head of the cylinder and compresses the charge therein. Thereby the desired sudden compression and rapid motion of the motor are attained at the time of explosion, which gives no time for much leakage of the charge, retains the fuel in a vaporized condition and intimately mixed with the air, and secures a sharp explosion wherein the fuel is completely burned and a large amount of power is developed.

Whenever a back explosion occurs, no harm can result to the operator, because he is enabled to set the starter in operation by simply'turning a valve from his position on the seat of the automobile, and consequently is removed from the danger ever present when a motor is started by hand, of being struck by the crank upon occurrence of a back explosion. A device of this character is very simple in construction and operation, and can be attached in a brief period of time by any skilful mechanic, to an automobile of any description, it being only necessary to hang the device at two points, and adjust the position of the cylinder and shaft section 5 to correspond with the location of the motor shaft.

1 claim:

1. An automatic device for starting inte nal combustion motors comprising a pressure driven member adapted to travel in a rectilinear path, a crank adapted to beconnected with the shaft of the motor and moving in a curved path, and transmission means between said pressure driven member and the end of said crank, the said pressure driven member being located to move in a path within the circumference of the path traversed by said crank end and having a range of movement substantially twice the length of said crank.

2. An automatic starting device for internal combustion motors comprising in comemma bination with the shaft of the motor, a crank adapted to be secured to said shaft and movable about the axis thereof, a pressure driven member guided to travel rectilinearly being constructed and arranged to apply pressure to said crank, the line of movement of said member intersecting the curved path in which that part of the crank whereon pressure is applied by the member travels, whereby said part may be placed close to the said line at the initiation of a starting operation, and the said member is enabled to act with increasing leverage to rotate the motor shaft.

3. A motor starting device comprising a frame having a bearing, a shaft section journaled in said bearing, a crank on said shaft section having a pin, a cylinder secured to said frame, a piston reciprocatively mounted in said cylinder, a connecting member between said piston and crank head for transmitting motion from the former to the latter, and a bar forming a member of said frame extending in front of said crank, the crank having an extension adapted to receive a handle, and the said frame bar being detachably connected at one of its ends to the frame and hinged at its other end, whereby it may be displaced to permit ap plication to the crank pin of a handle and manipulation of the crank by the aid of said handle.

4. A starting device for automobile motors comprising a bar adapted to be secured to the frame of an automobile at the forward end thereof, a hanger adj ustably mounted on said bar and a frame adjustably mounted on said hanger having a bearing, a crank shaft held in said bearing, a crank on said shaft, a cylinder attached to said frame, and a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder and having a driving connection with said crank, the frame being adjustable on the hanger in a direction transverse to that in which the hanger is adjustable on the bar, whereby to enable said shaft to be brought into line with the shaft of the I automobile motor.

5. An automatic starter for internal combustion motors, comprising an upright cylinder vertically and horizontally adjustable with respect to the motor, a piston therein, a shaft, a crank on said shaft, a clutch member secured to said shaft adapted to connect with a complemental clutch member on the motor shaft, a slotted head engaging the crank adapted to transmit rotary motion thereto from the piston, and provisions for introducing fluid under pressure to the cylinder for driving the piston.

6. An automatic starter for internal combustion motors, comprising a frame having a bearing, a shaft section journaled therein, a cylinder secured to said frame, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a slotted head 11 0 secured to the piston, a crank on the shaft section having a pin engaged in the slot of the head, and a yielding bufi'er mounted in the frame arranged to check the piston and head at the end of their outward stroke, and give them a returning impulse.

7. An automatic starter for internal combustion motors, comprising a frame having a bearing, a shaft section journaled therein, a cylinder secured to said frame, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a slotted head secured to the piston, a crank on the shaft section having a pin engaged in the slot of the head, and a clutch on the shaft section adapted to be connected with a complemental clutch on the motor shaft, the frame being universally adjustable to bring the shaft section jou'rnaled therein into alinement with the motor shaft,

8. An automatic starter for internal com bustion motors, comprising a frame having a bearing, a shaft section journaled therein,

a. cylinder secured to said frame, a pistonreciprocable in said cylinder, a slotted head secured to the piston, a crank on the shaft section having a pin engaged in the slot of the head, a clutch on the shaft section adapted to be connected with a complemental clutch on the motor shaft, and a hanger to which the frame is secured, in combination with a fixed supporting guide on which the hanger is mounted with provision for lateral movement to bring the shaft section I into alinement with the motor shaft.

9. An automatic starter for internal combustion motors, comprising a frame havinga bearing, a shaft section journaled therein, a cylinder secured "to said frame, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a slotted head secured to the piston, a crank on the shaft section having a pin engaged in the slot of the head, a clutch on the shaft section adapted to be connected with a complemental clutch on the motor shaft, and a hanger to which the frame is secured and on which it is adjustable vertically, in combination with a fixed horizontal supporting guide on which the hanger is mounted with provision for lateral movement, such movement and the vertical adjustment of the frame on the hanger serving to bring the shaft section into alinement with the motor shaft,

10. An automatic starter for internal combustion motors, comprising a cylinder, a

piston therein, a shaft section, a crank thereon, a pin on the crank rotatively engaged with said piston, provisions for leading fluid to the cylinder to act on the piston and rotate the shaft, a clutch 011 the shaft for en gaging'and driving a complemental clutch on the motor shaft, and a buffer-spring between the piston and cylinder head to absorb the shock of a rapid return of thepiston. 11. An automatic starter for internal com-' bustion motors, comprising an upright cylinder, a piston therein, a shaft section, a crank thereon, a slotted head secured to the piston,

a pin on the crank entering the slot in said head, provisions for leading fluid to the cylinder through a passage in the head thereof to act on the piston and rotate the shaft. a

ISAAC H. DAVIS.

Witnesses v C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER. 

